A Beaches partnership forged in tall timber and huge barrels
Written by Liam Carroll The Tawny Frogmouth
As dawn broke on Good Friday earlier this year, Freshwater Boardrider’s President Tommy Myers woke up battling a sinus infection, the firefighter and part-time chippie blissfully unaware he was set to be the centrepiece of the greatest day in Queenscliff Bombora surfing history.
Not only did Tommy shake off any sinus concerns, around 10am he charged into what would become the global RIDE OF THE YEAR, bottom turning with full composure under a guillotine lip capable of inflicting mortal carnage, before riding arguably the biggest barrel ever on the Northern Beaches, flying into the channel with the tube spitting all over him and a mesmerised crowd on Queenscliff headland struggling to fathom what on earth had just happened. Tommy “Bombie” Myers had just surfed into folklore.
*The Good Friday Ride of the Year* https://www.instagram.com/p/DIpXOOPTSLz
Paying close attention that day was Manly local Patrick Kelleher, a passionate surfboat rower with Queenscliff Surf Life Saving Club, and co-founder of Pine Property with his wife Kyla.
Over the past decade, Patrick and Kyla have built Pine Property into a thriving, specialist commercial real estate firm on the Northern Beaches. From a business standpoint, Pine Property is focused on the sales, leasing and property management of retail, commercial and industrial property. From an ideological standpoint, the Pine Property name pays homage to the Norfolk Island pines lining the Northern Beaches, the peninsula’s sentinels, their resilience to strong salt winds and harsh coastal conditions an ongoing inspiration.
“Tommy’s approach to big wave surfing, and his whole commitment to the community, I knew straight away I wanted to somehow be involved with him,” says Patrick. “I wasn’t sure exactly how that would take shape, but his knockabout fearlessness, it’s just so impressive, a young dad raising a family, working multiple jobs, while still squeezing in time to surf the biggest waves possible, what a legend.”
In early August, Tommy proved his Good Friday monster barrel was no fluke, replicating the ride almost exactly on another mammoth swell at Queenscliff Bombie, timing his heroics with the announcement that he was in the running for the Global Ride of the Year. All eyes in the surfing universe were taking a good look at the Bowl Cut Superhero from Freshie.
Having been a promising junior surfer with a Quiksilver sponsorship in his teens, Tommy wisely decided to give that dream away and focus on getting a trade with carpentry, before becoming a firefighter, saving surfing for the hobby realm…but at age 33, with global acclaim and recognition, we decided now was the time to reawaken Tommy’s professional surfing career.
8am Saturday morning, 9 August, Tommy, myself and good mate (and another big wave lunatic) Billy Langley met at Hotel Steyne, snuck up to the top level and filmed a pitch video to see if local businesses would be interested in sponsoring Tommy and his surfing dreams to ride the biggest waves possible.
“I love surfing, I love my family,” explained Tommy. “If I can get some sponsorship support that allows me to spend less time on the tools as a chippie, more time chasing swells, I really see that as a way to take my surfing to the next level and find out what I’m truly capable of in the ocean.”
*The Steyne Tommy Bombie Tawny pitch video* https://www.instagram.com/p/DNHXgiGzuUE
We put that pitch out to the social media universe and Patrick knew straightaway, he’d love to support this local legend giving it his all to pursue his dreams.
“For me personally, I know from having worked initially at CBRE to learn all I could about the commercial real estate business, when I stepped out on my own to create Pine Property, it’s a huge leap of faith,” explains Patrick. “Seeing Tommy with such clear focus to chase his dreams, I know how powerful it is to know people support you and are right there with you on that always challenging path to success.”
Pine Property jumped straight on board to sponsor Tommy, forging the relationship of tall timber and huge barrels, and sending Tommy off to California in early September with a spring in his step for the Big Wave Challenge awards ceremony.
“Patrick’s support and financial backing, it meant that I could really enjoy the trip, be surrounded by all my surfing heroes and properly bask in the moment,” says Tommy. Pine Property was the first local business to offer support and for that I will be forever thankful. “And to win The Ride of the Year, it still hasn’t sunk in. But looking ahead, there are more huge barrels and waves waiting to be ridden. I can’t wait to get amongst them! And thanks to Pine Property, I’ll be able to do just that.”
*Call to action*
Follow Tommy Myers on socials to keep up to date with his latest big wave antics @tom_myers and for all your Northern Beaches commercial property needs, visit www.pineproperty.com.au
